From 2026 onward, a massive change is coming to the home platform of the WWE premium live events, as those will air on ESPN in the United States as part of their new streaming service. While Netflix will be the home of the special shows produced by the WWE for the rest of the world, the US-based fans will have to leave Peacock and buy an ESPN subscription to watch this content.
According to the reports of the Wall Street Journal, the WWE premium live event deal with ESPN is reportedly for $1.6 billion over five years ($325 million per year). An official start date for the same hasn’t been announced, but WWE will likely kick things off with April’s WrestleMania in Las Vegas since this is the biggest show under their banner.
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The official press release states that the upcoming ESPN DTC streaming service, set to launch later this month, will stream WWE premium live events annually in the US domestic market, along with select simulcasts on other ESPN platforms.
Wrestlenomics added that ESPN’s flagship show, Sportscenter, will broadcast from the location of the WWE premium live events and that ESPN has the rights to create original WWE content, including the pre and post-shows attached with the PLEs. WWE’s video library isn’t included in the ESPN deal, alongside the NXT special shows. WWE is still open to seeking deals with other platforms in these two genres if needed.
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Triple H excited about ESPN airing WWE premium live events
“There’s nothing bigger, there’s no bigger opportunity for us than this right now,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque said about ESPN hosting WWE premium live events in 2026 while appearing on ESPN’s Get Up.
“Nick [Khan] and I have been thinking about it for a long time, of it is the right home for it. It’s something that we’ve been trying to work through for a long time. [ESPN Chairman] Jimmy Pitaro making it happen, it’s thrilling for us. Can’t be more excited.”
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics further reported last night that, according to someone familiar with the agreement, only customers of Charter (Spectrum), DirecTV, FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and Verizon Fios will be able to enjoy the ESPN service to get access to WWE premium live events. Providers like Xfinity/Comcast, YouTube TV, Dish TV, Sling, and others are not included at this time for the service.